


Important Work

by sir_kingsley



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Doctor Dean Winchester, M/M, Married Castiel/Dean Winchester, Married Couple, Professor Castiel (Supernatural), Quarantine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23706415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sir_kingsley/pseuds/sir_kingsley
Summary: “And of course I keep hearing about all these doctors and nurses who can’t even come home!” Mildred sighs. “It’s just heartbreaking.”It’s not a topic Cas likes to talk about. This entire pandemic has been beyond Cas’s worst nightmares and the only thing keeping him together after a day of panicked headlines, crying nurses, and rising death tolls, is holding his husband in their bed at the end of the day. Or every few days as it’s become of late. “He’s doing what’s important to him,” he says, mostly to himself to be honest. It’s become somewhat of a mantra these days, a reminder of peace, a minor sense of control. It’s what Dean wants.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 23
Kudos: 192





	Important Work

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! Just a short little quarantine fic with doctor!dean and professor!cas and a shameless star trek reference. Hope you enjoy!

It takes a bit of shuffling but Cas is able to move all his groceries to one arm and raise his fist to knock on the bright yellow door. “Mildred, it’s Castiel! I’m leaving your groceries on the porch!”

He lowers one of the large bags to the welcome mat and backs away a safe distance. It’s not long until the door opens, revealing an elderly woman. Despite having no reason to leave her home for weeks now she’s still dressed to entertain the queen, hair curled and pinned back elegantly, pearls decorating her throat. 

“Oh, thank you, dear,” she gushes as she picks up the bag. “I tried to order online like my granddaughter told me but that damn Amazon is just too much for someone as old as me.”

Cas smiles as she vents, familiar with her feud with technology after years of living next to each other. “It’s no problem at all, Mildred. Let us know if you need anything else.”

Mildred’s smile gets impossibly kinder. “What would I do without you boys? Oh, that reminds me. How is that lovely husband of yours? I heard the hospital has been a bit of a wreck.”

Cas’s chest tightens at just the mention of the place and he doesn’t bother trying to smother his grimace. “Dean’s well but it has been pretty tense. Everyone is tired and overworked.”

“I can’t help but worry about him,” Mildred frets. “My heart always sinks when I see his car is gone.”

Cas knows the feeling well, just as he’s come to know the pathetic relief he feels whenever he gets home and sees the impala in the driveway and can finally breathe.

“And of course I keep hearing about all these doctors and nurses who can’t even come home!” Mildred sighs. “It’s just heartbreaking.”

It’s not a topic Cas likes to talk about. This entire pandemic has been beyond Cas’s worst nightmares and the only thing keeping him together after a day of panicked headlines, crying nurses, and rising death tolls, is holding his husband in their bed at the end of the day. Or every few days as it’s become of late. “He’s doing what’s important to him,” he says, mostly to himself to be honest. It’s become somewhat of a mantra these days, a reminder of peace, a minor sense of control. It’s what Dean wants. 

“God bless him,” Mildred prays with a revered head shake. “Well, I won’t keep you from your beau any longer. You go give him a kiss for me, okay? Have a good night, dear.”

With a kind goodbye, Cas waves and crosses the yard toward home with the remainder of his groceries. Dean is supposed to have tomorrow off - his first free day in too many weeks. And it just happens to be a Saturday which means Cas has no online classes or work to prepare for his college students. Cas plans to stuff his husband full of pasta and wine tonight and then tomorrow they’re going to stay in bed until noon and won’t think of any future plans. Just enjoy the moment they have with each other while they can.

Just thinking of having Dean all to himself for more than a few hours is enough to make him grin and walk just that must faster. 

Dean is nowhere to be found when he gets inside and for a moment Cas worries he may be sleeping. Then he hears footsteps upstairs. Smiling, Cas drops the groceries in the kitchen and hurries up the stairs to their room.

“Are you ready for the best shrimp alfredo you’ve ever-” Cas swings into the room only to freeze, smile dropping just like his heart falls to his stomach when he sees the half-full suitcase on the bed. 

Dean looks close to death, big purple bags under his eyes and he’s certainly thinner than he had been even just a month ago. His hair is long and greasy and ruffled and there’s hardly a spark in his eye aside from what Cas recognizes as guilt. 

“Dean?” Cas whispers, not daring to walk closer. He looks at the suitcase again, then back at Dean. “No,” he says and again, but louder. “No.”

“It’s for the best, Cas,” Dean sighs.

“No!” Cas says again. “I thought we talked about this. It’s safer for you to come home.”

“But more dangerous for  _ you _ ,” Dean argues. He drops the shirt in his hands and turns fully. He’s still in his scrubs and usually the sight lights a fire in Cas but now he wants to strip his husband down for entirely different reasons. 

“We’re not having this conversation,” Cas says with every ounce of confidence he has. 

“Cas-”

“No,” Cas snaps. It’s quiet but fierce. Severe. “No. You are going to go get in the shower and I am going to go start dinner. I don’t want to hear another word of this.”

“Dammit, Cas, be reasonable here,” Dean says, voice raising above a whisper for the first time. “I don’t want this either. But I… things are getting bad. Hell, they’ve been bad. Benny left Andrea two weeks ago. Jesse has been staying with his brother. Donna hasn’t seen her kids in I don’t know how long. And it sucks.” Dean’s voice breaks and Cas can’t breathe. “They’re hurting and I see it every day. But the only thing keeping them going as more and more beds fill and the masks keep disappearing is knowing that at least their families are safe. I have to keep you safe, Cas.”

“That’s not your decision to make!” Cas says. 

Dean shakes his head. “Actually, it is. And I won’t risk you.” He picks up his discarded shirt and puts it in the bag. 

Cas feels like he’s being pulled in a million directions. He wants to continue screaming. He wants to snatch Dean’s bag away and dump everything out. He wants to tackle Dean to the floor and hold him down until he comes to his senses. But as Dean continues to move calmly around their room, packing his back, Cas realizes that Dean has come to his senses. Cas can’t stop him. 

Dean is the one who notices that he’s crying. “Oh, sweetheart…” Dean stops and pulls Cas’s body against his. Cas’s hands knot in the soft blue fabric of his shirt and cling. “I’m so sorry,” Dean whispers in his ear, lips brushing so gently and lovingly against his neck. “I’m so sorry.”

Cas shakes his head and buries his face in Dean’s neck, breathing his husband in as deeply as he can. “Not your fault,” he whispers. 

Dean’s hands rub his back, comforting and soothing. “I can still be sorry. If I had known something like this was going to happen, I never would have-”

“Don’t.” Cas pulls away far enough to look into Dean’s eyes. They’re so sad and tired, a dull green instead of the bright summer fields he loves to compare them to. “This is our life. Maybe we didn’t anticipate a global pandemic, but the risks were still high and we knew that.” Cas releases Dean’s shirt so he can slide his hands up Dean’s chest, feel his heartbeat. “I’m going to miss you.”

Something close to a choking sound comes from Dean and Cas is being squeezed impossibly closer. “I’m going to miss you, too.” 

They finish packing together, Cas sorting through the toiletries to make sure Dean will have everything he needs. He packs some snacks for Dean too, puts the ingredients for dinner away to save for whenever they’re together again. 

Their hug at the front door is long and silent, neither really capable of verbally expressing goodbye. All too soon, Dean is gone and Cas is left staring at the door he disappeared behind. 

_ This is important to him _ , he reminds himself for the thousandth time. People need him.

Cas heads for the stairs, appetite long gone. He’s about halfway up when he hears a strange knocking. Not on the door… but the window?

Cas follows the sound to the living room and frowns when he recognizes his husband on the other side of the glass. Dean spots him and smiles. 

“Did you forget something?” Cas calls as he walks closer.

Instead of answering, Dean raises his hand and flattens his palm against the window. He still doesn’t speak, just watches Cas until it clicks.

Cas can’t help but snort even as he feels the little burning sensation of tears build behind his eyes. He finally stops just inches from the window and arches a brow at his ridiculous husband. “Star Trek? Really?”

Dean shrugs, smile so gentle and easy and just for Cas. 

Cas flattens his palm over Dean’s, loves the way Dean’s eyes brighten as Cas returns the gesture. 

“You know why I saved you?”

It’s all too on-the-nose, but Cas says his line like the dutiful husband he is. “Because you love me.”

Dean nods, eyes crinkling as his smile becomes that much bigger. “And because you’re my friend.”

  
  



End file.
